Missoni – A Launch to Remember

A couple of weeks ago, StyleBlueprint Louisville and StyleBlueprint Nashville started planning for a joint Missoni for Target post to run the day after the actual launch. It was going to be a light and fluffy piece, about how great the clothes are, see what we bought, aren’t the people at Target geniuses etc. etc. etc. We’d have to shop on the day of the launch, Sept. 13th.

Then, we realized it had become a little bigger. People were starting to talk about going early. There was chatter all over about it.

Unfortunately, I was late to the party. I got to Target at 8:15am, a full 15 minutes after opening. Long enough for this to happen:

Front section wiped out except some XS sweaters.

And more empty racks

It became clear that Nashville and Louisville StyleBlueprint’s were on their own. We needed to document what we were individually witnessing. So, here is my account. I’m still breathless writing this:

I feverishly get to work. I’m basically sitting on the ground, taking pictures of what is left in the women’s section before they are ripped off the racks. Then, I hear the voice of a friend over in the children’s section yelling out my name basically saying its about time I got there.

She got there like a good girl at 8:00am and was buying up the XL’s in the children’s section for herself. Check out this cart.

This is what the cart looked like of someone that got there on time.

She tells me to get over to the dressing room, where there are tons of clothes that people have tried on and returned. I finish up with a few more pictures of the adorable girls line and beeline it to the women’s dressing room. Jackpot….if you’re a Small.

She is slammed and it is now only 8:20am.

Then, I get a text from Liza at StyleBlueprint Nashville. There is a waiting pack of ladies at what would be 7:40am in Nashville. Here is a snippet of our conversation:

Liza: “Women are gathering…Do you think it’s for Missoni, or is there always a pre-Target opening crowd?”

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the Target.com website has crashed. Not to be accessed again for hours.

We are suddenly extremely popular. You may not be able to access our site momentarily due to unusually high traffic. Please stay here and we'll try to get you in as soon as we can! Please know that there is no need to refresh your browser. Your request will automatically retry in 30 seconds. Thank you and our apologies for the inconvenience.

My e-mail pings and Liza has sent me a picture of the waiting crowd above. I check my watch and it is almost 9:00am now. The pre-school dropoff moms will be here any minute. I blaze to the home goods section. Comforter/bedding sets intact. Towels basically gone. Three bathmats. Two throw pillows and a partridge in a pear tree left.

Only two throw pillows left at 9:00am.

Look at the detail on this pillow.

Lots of bedding sets.

One bath towel left. Any singles out there? Here's your one towel.

One black and white bathmat

And the other bathmat.

Check check. I run over to the dishes and finish up in beauty and stationary. I see three friends I know along the way, all of them with Missoni in hand — and a couple rolls of paper towels and a banana. God, I love Target.

Platters

Cutest bobby pins. You would hate to lose one of these.

Striped makeup case.

Journals and pencil cases

I loved reading all the play by play on Facebook as the morning progressed. People hit every inch of the emotional spectrum.

Anger: (Mainly people were displeased about the website being down.) I saw reactions anywhere from general sad face, to “the entire Target IT department should be fired. “

Surprise: “What the heck is a Missoni?”

Fear: “I’ve never seen such a freak out for clothes from Target.”

Joy: “I was there and saw it totally cleared out, but then I saw a woman put the one thing I wanted back so I got it.”

Love: “Love the quality…My favorite is the women’s poncho/caplet. TDF!!!! Love the flats as well.”

So what’s all the fuss about?

Like Liberty of London and Calypso, Target is bringing high-end designers to the masses. We can have a taste of this fashion at an affordable price.

Margherita Missoni is the person behind this Missoni venture. Her family has been in the fashion business in Italy since the 1950s and they are known for their signature knits and prints. Lots of chevrons, sweaters, stripes…enough to make your head spin. Oh, and P.S. — she is a model and only 28 years old. You’d hate her if she wasn’t so darn cute.

Miss Margherita Missoni

Her grandparents who started the business in the 1950s.

There are even Missoni hotels. This one is in Kuwait.

So that is a little background for the hysteria this morning.

If you missed out on the inventory, I’m sure that it will be replenished within the month. I have a feeling we are going to be seeing a lot of prints and chevrons around town soon (although Nashville has confirmed that their Target says there will not be another shipment… hmmmm, I guess we’ll just have to see!)

Bye bye!

For a low-down on StyleBlueprint Nashville’s experience, and what Liza was actually able to buy, click here!